How to Make Time to Write – Simple Strategies

We all get 24 hours in a day. We have to use those
hours differently. Right now, you may feel maxed
out. You want to write, but there’s no time. I have some good news. You probably
do have time to write; you have to find it and prioritize it.

There are simple ways to squeeze in short writing
blocks throughout your day. Let’s start by evaluating your day. Don’t ditch
your planners or lists, keep those for now. I want to introduce you to an
activity log. An activity log will help you look at your day differently. Understanding
where and how you spend your time, you can discover which tools work best for
you to carve out some writing time.

Evaluate Your Day

Start by evaluating how you spend your day. Juggling a
job, family, pets, and life, in general, can make it seem like you are always on the go. Take a hard look at what you
are doing and when. Get a notepad or
cheap notebook—doesn’t have to be
anything fancy—and keep a log of each day
for at least a week. If you can, log your days for two weeks. Keep it simple!
You need the date and day of the week across the top of the page. Then note the
rough start and stop time for everything you do throughout the day. Don’t use
this as a schedule to pre-plan tasks; record what you do as you are doing it.

The goal isn’t to account for every single minute of
your day; you can have gaps. Be honest.
You can always destroy the pages later. Completing this exercise is a tool to
help you see where you are spending your time and help you find spots where you
can carve out small writing blocks. Do you work a “day job” that gives you
breaks and lunch? Do you have kids in sports or other activities where you have
to wait during practices or lessons? Those are
fantastic opportunities to spend 10-15 minutes writing.

Planners, Calendars, and Schedules – Oh my!

For those of you who do live and die by your planner,
calendar, or another scheduling tool, you may
think you have a perfect picture of where you spend your time.

Try the activity log for a few days and compare to your
planner. Are they different? Does your activity log show you things you didn’t
put on your calendar? For example, you may have a doctor’s appointment
scheduled in your planner. Did you sit in the waiting room? What did you do
while you waited? Situations like this is an example of a missed writing
opportunity.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

Once you are open to the idea and practice of writing in
10-15 minute blocks buried inside of other events, be prepared. You need a way
to write that you are comfortable using no matter where you are. The method
doesn’t matter as much as making sure it fits you. If you prefer notepads and
handwriting, do that. If you want to carry a laptop with you, do that. Don’t
forget about the one thing you probably already take with you everywhere you go—your
cell phone. Typing on that tiny little touch screen keyboard may not give you
the efficiency of a laptop, but it will
still allow you to take advantage of situations
where you may not be able to use another device.

Also, don’t forget about programs that allow you to
work across multiple devices. You can use your phone to start a document at
Susie’s soccer practice and finish it on your home computer once the kids are
in bed. Apps and programs that allow you to sync
files make writing on the go and in small sessions much more manageable.
There are cloud drives and other programs that let you take your documents with
you anywhere you go.

Just Say No

Once you find your writing time, you have to protect
it. You have to say no when others try to infringe on that time. If writing is important to you, prioritize it
like you would other “to do” items. Uphold
your end of the agreement when it comes to staffing the concession stand at
your child’s sporting events or picking
up extra shifts at work, but don’t volunteer for more than needed. I know this
sounds like I’m saying be a lousy parent
or employee or don’t be a team player. We want to be helpful but saying no is
all right.

You also have to say no to yourself sometimes. It’s
easy to get distracted by the other things we enjoy or feel we have to do. Don’t let new episodes of your favorite TV show
or anything else to take the place of your writing time. You could use those
things as rewards for meeting your writing goals each day or week. Do what you
need to do to protect your writing time once you find it.

If writing is something you want to do, but you
couldn’t ever figure out how to make time to write, I hope the information
above helps you find a few minutes here and there to get started. There are hidden
pockets of time throughout the day where you could be writing. It may take
longer to write on your phone or in short bursts, but I guarantee you that writing this way is much better than
not writing at all.

As a bonus, I’ve also included a very basic, no-frills, printable
worksheet to help you track your day. You can follow the link below to print a
few copies, or you can use it as a guide
to set up your notebook.